Hands-on: gesture, voice, and the many inputs of Samsung’s smart TV

Samsung's new smart LED TV, the ES8000, will begin shipping today, the company announced at a press conference. We got some hands-on time with the TV and a new touch remote, and while we're sold on some of the layout and control schemes as the new way forward, the ES8000 seems to be lacking a bit in polish.

The ES8000 was initially announced at CES in January, though Samsung did not offer demos of the "smart" portions of the TV at the time. With a dual-core processor and a few hundred gigabytes of storage, the TV is as close to a computer as any smartphone or tablet, though how it's used leaves some interaction problems to solve—that is, touch can't come into play.

The ES8000's home screen (called "Smart Hub" by the TV) is a jumble of icons, though it shows the TV will integrate some important applications, like Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Twitter, and Facebook. While on the home screen, the TV displayed a small live stream of a cable channel in the top left corner; if selected, the stream would be pulled into full-screen mode.

Voice control and gestures play a large role in controlling the new TV. In addition to a camera and built-in microphone, the touch remote that comes with the TV also has a built-in mic that users can speak into when the environment is too loud (as may often be the case when a TV is playing in the background, though the TV has a second built-in mic for noise canceling).

Unlike the Kinect, though, the camera can only be adjusted up and down via a mechanical wheel on the back of the TV, and not side to side; if your living room setup doesn't point the TV right at where you sit, you might be out of luck.

The login menu on the ES8000

Casey Johnston, Ars Technica

Facial recognition on the ES8000 can be used to log in to your account. The camera is embedded above the screen.

Casey Johnston, Ars Technica

The TV can be woken up either through voice ("Hi, TV!" as demonstrated in a few commercials) or a wave of the hand, similar to Microsoft's Kinect. The TV requires personal profiles to operate, which users can unlock through facial recognition on the TV's camera or though a standard text entry login.

A Samsung representative demonstrated some of the functionality of the ES8000 to us in a sound-proofed room. He pulled up the TV's Web browser, which displayed a standard URL field above Google's search page and a keyboard on one side of the screen. The rep held up the remote microphone to his mouth. "Basketball scores," he said. About ten seconds passed, and nothing happened. He tried again: "basketball scores." A couple of seconds later, "Basketball scores basketball scores" appeared in the search field. A second search happened a bit more quickly, though the TV still took time to think through the commands.

The ES8000's browser on the Google search page, with a QWERTY keyboard displayed

Casey Johnston, Ars Technica

The TV searches "basketball scores basketball scores"

Casey Johnston, Ars Technica

The TV provides a set of keyboard keys onscreen, and users can enter text by pointing their hand or the remote at the screen, letter by letter. Presumably, this is for when the TV can't or won't understand the things you're speaking, but is barely less unwieldy than having to scroll around and peck out letters with the directional keys on a standard remote control. Samsung does plan to sell a special keyboard with attached touchpad that should make text entry less of a pain, but it will retail for $99 as a separate accessory. At the event, reps noted that the TV can also be controlled with Samsung smartphones and tablets to move the cursor and type in text, but this functionality wasn't set up for demonstration.

Like the voice control, the motion of the cursor under gesture control was a little stuttery and unsure, though its movement is smoother than on the Kinect or with a Wiimote, which have cursors with a tendency to swing and yo-yo around the screen as if connected to a bungee cord. On an XBox or Wii the cursors are also prone to jittering around when you're holding your hand still, inviting anxiety that you'll move off your selection before the device will register it. The cursor on the ES8000 rested much better when a selection was intended, even though the hand selecting it was not perfectly still.

When something is selected and displayed full screen on the TV, users can pull up an options menu that displays a bundle of random navigation jump choices, including Fitness Home, Kids Home, Skype, Samsung Apps, and Current Time. This menu can also be used to page the channel up or down, turn the volume up and down, or change the source port.

Some of the accessible options to users as they watch cable.

Casey Johnston, Ars Technica

Because Samsung may not expect users to be able to fully embrace touch and voice controls right away, it includes the touch remote mentioned earlier. The remote has a spare touch area surrounded by a few standard buttons, like channel up/down (again) and volume up/down. The touchpad worked well, and can be used to enter text and scroll the cursor around the screen. Pushing the buttons was difficult as they had little tactile feedback, making us wish for tap-to-select, but we don't expect it on a remote, since it will be often handled carelessly on a couch. As for the button selection, the channel up/down button seems wildly out of place on a TV like this; paging through channels sequentially just to see what's on seems like an antiquated action to include in such a modern device.

The smart touch remote control Samsung has made for use with the ES8000.

Casey Johnston, Ars Technica

Casey Johnston, Ars Technica

The smart touch remote's touch area, for controlling the cursor on the TV

Casey Johnston, Ars Technica

The ES8000 had one more minor feature, called an IR blaster. The IR blaster is a separate little tower that sits next to the TV and, without any wires connected to it from any device, can relay instructions from other IR devices surrounding the TV. For example, the cable set top box shown in the photos could be controlled with its own remote and have its content displayed on the TV, despite the fact that it was not wired to the TV or the IR blaster; everything worked wirelessly. The system would have been much more elegant if the IR blaster could have been built into the TV instead of requiring a squat little tower standing alone underneath it, but to be able to control older devices to the TV without wires is a nice feature nonetheless.

The IR Blaster that accompanies the ES8000

Casey Johnston, Ars Technica

Altogether, what's meant to be special about this TV reads like a list of inputs: there are buttons, voice, gestures, touchpads, and keyboards. In practical use, we wonder if users won't get a little lost. Even though the TV is shipping now (technically, within the next couple of weeks, according to another representative we spoke to), Samsung wouldn't tell us either the price or exact release date.

Update: Samsung has specified prices for the ES8000: $2,999.99 for the 46-inch model, $3,479.99 for the 55-inch, $4,399.99 for the 60-inch, and $5,099.99 for the 65-inch. All will be available this month except the 65-inch, which is noted only as "to be announced."

Casey Johnston
Casey Johnston is the former Culture Editor at Ars Technica, and now does the occasional freelance story. She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Applied Physics. Twitter@caseyjohnston

I would not buy an internet connected tv that has a camera. I'm sure that buried in the EULA is something that says it is within their right to use the camera for whatever function they think they need.

I would not buy an internet connected tv that has a camera. I'm sure that buried in the EULA is something that says it is within their right to use the camera for whatever function they think they need.

That is especially true if this thing is connected to your Facebook account, which Casey called an "important" application. Can you imagine Facebook automatically posting video of you while you're watching TV or just moving about your room? Gotta fill that Timeline!

The sets are actually starting to ship now. MSRP on the UN46ES8000 is $2699, the UN55ES8000 is $3399, the UN60ES8000 is $3999 and the UN65ES8000 is $4699. I am REALLY excited to see how the web browser performs...these sets DO include support for Adobe Flash by the way...so it MAY be a viable alternative to having a separate HTPC...especially with native support of Hulu Plus and Netflix, as well as others! Being able to control the web browser with just your voice and a wave of the hand is nice too...if it works reliably. We will have to see how these new input options hold up in the real world before making any judgments. I applaud Samsung for giving the consumer so many choices on how they are to control their TV, though. You can use a regular remote, theirs or a 3rd party universal. You can use your smartphone and/or tablet (hopefully not just Samsung brands though...maybe the Android hackers can bust the app open). You can use their integrated gesture and voice controls. Or you can use their keyboard accessory. Plenty of choices...its a good thing!

I would not buy an internet connected tv that has a camera. I'm sure that buried in the EULA is something that says it is within their right to use the camera for whatever function they think they need.

I could have sworn there was an instance of the Kinect doing something questionable with pictures it took of people while they used it, but the details of it escape me and I can't get anything useful to turn up in a search. If someone else remembers this, or if I'm imagining it, let us know!

I don't see the value in a TV being "smart" like this. 3rd party internet video is just as likely to be delivered through extra devices people are going to want anyway like game consoles and Blu Ray players. And households that can afford a brand new huge TV are just as likely to have one ore more iPad or Kindle or Nook tablet that can browse the web and handle social media better--without obscuring the video on screen for everyone else!

For my purposes, a TV is just a video monitor. It needs to be able to easily power on and off and change source and I need to be able to calibrate it. Cute interactions like voice control, gestures and touch screen remotes don't seem to make that any easier.

The sets are actually starting to ship now. MSRP on the UN46ES8000 is $2699, the UN55ES8000 is $3399, the UN60ES8000 is $3999 and the UN65ES8000 is $4699. I am REALLY excited to see how the web browser performs...these sets DO include support for Adobe Flash by the way...so it MAY be a viable alternative to having a separate HTPC...especially with native support of Hulu Plus and Netflix, as well as others! Being able to control the web browser with just your voice and a wave of the hand is nice too...if it works reliably. We will have to see how these new input options hold up in the real world before making any judgments. I applaud Samsung for giving the consumer so many choices on how they are to control their TV, though. You can use a regular remote, theirs or a 3rd party universal. You can use your smartphone and/or tablet (hopefully not just Samsung brands though...maybe the Android hackers can bust the app open). You can use their integrated gesture and voice controls. Or you can use their keyboard accessory. Plenty of choices...its a good thing!

Wait with buying this for the browser until we've seen some reviews. Last years Samsung smart TVs also had a browser with Flash support, and it was dreadful to use. The mishap with the basket scores mentioned in the article? Everyday occurrence on those TVs. Trying to use Flash to watch SVT Play (Sweden's public broadcast TV, similar to BBC)? Not really possible; if you wait a minute or so it might start streaming on the lowest quality (and here we are talking low quality, indeed). If you forcefully select some more decent quality, instead of the auto one, the TV will wait while preparing. And wait. And wait. And never get anywhere.

This is what you get when Samsung doesn't have someone to copy, a checklist of features they don't know how to organize and make good use of, and doesn't solve any real problems.

Couldn't agree more... this sounds like a usability nightmare. Every possible bullet-point feature, but none of them look easy to use. You just assume they're all gimmicks and in a month you'll turn them all off.

What a shame. The display part of this device looks nice, with its slim bezel, but the package will cost too much because of its "smart" components. It's just so darn easy to plug existing computing devices into displays I don't see the added value here.

OTOH, if they could cram a receiver/pre-amp into a TV with 8-channel output (for sending to a power amp), I'd be all over that sh*t.

It's worth noting that the retail price of a TV and the actual price a few months later is usually hugely different. Case and point - the UN55D7000 "smart" TV, the shiny new TV for 2011 (came out in March, I believe), 3D, all sorts of connectivity, similar thin screen/tiny bezel albeit without the voice controls. $3199 retail price, now $1777 on Amazon.

Release prices on TVs are always set for early adopters, just wait a bit and it'll be a regular feature everywhere soon enough.

I don't see the value in a TV being "smart" like this. 3rd party internet video is just as likely to be delivered through extra devices people are going to want anyway like game consoles and Blu Ray players. And households that can afford a brand new huge TV are just as likely to have one ore more iPad or Kindle or Nook tablet that can browse the web and handle social media better--without obscuring the video on screen for everyone else!

For my purposes, a TV is just a video monitor. It needs to be able to easily power on and off and change source and I need to be able to calibrate it. Cute interactions like voice control, gestures and touch screen remotes don't seem to make that any easier.

If you can't appreciate the beauty of having a $5099.99 TV set be obsoleted by the lack of security updates 6 months after you bought it, you are probably on the wrong side of the consumer electronics industry.

I would not buy an internet connected tv that has a camera. I'm sure that buried in the EULA is something that says it is within their right to use the camera for whatever function they think they need.

Indeed. A man named George Orwell explained why this not be a desirable feature. Even if it is not in the EULA, there have been plenty of news stories documenting people's built in cams in other devices being accessed. I'll stick with external peripherals that can be unplugged thanks.

I'll stick with running everything through my pre/pro. One remote controls it all (well, except the Wii). Nice 67" sammy is, well, just a "monitor". Don't use its internal speakers or any of its switching. Just one HDMI out to the pre/pro.

If I wanted more, I'd add the economical Roku, which I set up for my parents last month when I was visiting them.

I'm not sure about adding everything into a TV, when most setups require a different box for satellite/TV (alas, the failed birth of the CableCard).

Do I really want to get up and touch my TV all the time and have to clean the screen everyday because of finger prints? NO.

++

Dumb dumb dumb.

Is that really how that works? I assumed it was an area on the remote that you touched... But only because I read the article and it only refers to a touch remote, not touching the actual screen.

Heaven forbid you read the article before formulating an opinion. That just takes too long for some. Gawd, it's not even as if they'd have to read very far into the article, either. From the tail end of the second bloody paragraph (emphasis mine):

Quote:

With a dual-core processor and a few hundred gigabytes of storage, the TV is as close to a computer as any smartphone or tablet, though how it's used leaves some interaction problems to solve—that is, touch can't come into play.

Anyway, I'm at a bit of a loss as to why an all-in-one job like this is necessarily better than a more basic set with a WDTV Live or Apple TV or similar providing the requisite connectivity.

What a shame. The display part of this device looks nice, with its slim bezel, but the package will cost too much because of its "smart" components. It's just so darn easy to plug existing computing devices into displays I don't see the added value here.

That's basically why I'm glad that I bought last year's UN55D8000 model for $1800 over the holiday season instead of waiting for the new models. I never use their Smart Hub because my TiVo, PS3, and Xbox with Kinect already do everything I need in terms of internet connectivity, so I just don't see what this will do for me since I never actually use the TV remote for anything outside of tweaking the picture settings. With the IR blaster, I could conceivably set up the TV to control all of my other stuff via motion, but somehow I don't think it'll be nearly as easy as using my Harmony to control everything like I am now.

If you can't appreciate the beauty of having a $5099.99 TV set be obsoleted by the lack of security updates 6 months after you bought it...

That's why all the people who buy these will root them, silly!

(What's ironic is that some people complain that computers are getting dumbed down to being 'appliances' --in part through Apple's decades-long stated intentions-- yet the notion of appliance is getting corrupted by companies that think a Facebook account should be required to use your clothes dryer, or that a webcam will somehow enhance your interaction with the refrigerator.)

It's worth noting that the retail price of a TV and the actual price a few months later is usually hugely different. Case and point - the UN55D7000 "smart" TV, the shiny new TV for 2011 (came out in March, I believe), 3D, all sorts of connectivity, similar thin screen/tiny bezel albeit without the voice controls. $3199 retail price, now $1777 on Amazon.

Release prices on TVs are always set for early adopters, just wait a bit and it'll be a regular feature everywhere soon enough.

This might actually be a little different on the 2012 models, since Samsung is going to be going to a fixed pricing model on its higher-end models like the ES8000, like Apple and Bose use on their products.

Buy one of the 7000 series sets. Same black pro panel and Smart Hub without the goofy touch/voice features and a much lower price. Add a Harmony remote and still come out way ahead.

My setup is a TiVO HD box with cablecard, Apple TV, Samsung Blu Ray player, and Denon AVR-3805 driving a Toshiba LCD TV. All HDMI to TV, optical audio out to Denon, all controlled by Harmony.

I've been looking at Panasonic and Samsung 60-65 inch plasma sets as an upgrade and perhaps the jump to 3D. Can't see paying the premium for the 8000s when the 7000s will likely perform identically...for less $$.

$3000 for a 46 inches? For half that price I can buy a 55 inches LED TV + small laptop + wireless mouse & keyboard + HDMI cable. Better yet, the laptop can be used independently and you can configure it the way you want.

I would not buy an internet connected tv that has a camera. I'm sure that buried in the EULA is something that says it is within their right to use the camera for whatever function they think they need.

It's worth noting that the retail price of a TV and the actual price a few months later is usually hugely different. Case and point - the UN55D7000 "smart" TV, the shiny new TV for 2011 (came out in March, I believe), 3D, all sorts of connectivity, similar thin screen/tiny bezel albeit without the voice controls. $3199 retail price, now $1777 on Amazon.

Release prices on TVs are always set for early adopters, just wait a bit and it'll be a regular feature everywhere soon enough.

Would that be the model being sold as a package deal with the Galaxy Player/Galaxy S WIFI?

I have a Samsung tv and blue ray player with their current Internet connectivity suite. The picture quality is absolutely stunning. The interface and 'apps' (sic) are absolutely atrocious. Even the screenshots of this new tv just look... Nasty. Samsung: fabulous pictures, lousy interface. End of.

It seems like they didn't get finished with testing and simply took all the test equipment and put a production label on it and started selling it.

It's amazing that so few companies seem to understand what people want. I'm not a huge Apple fan, but they consistently make products that actually work and I'm sure it'll be the same for the TV that Apple eventually reveals. Apple generally don't release something until it is ready and usable, it's really not that difficult a concept, except that apparently it is for the majority of companies...

Is the IR-Blaster part not written correctly?"The IR blaster is a separate little tower that sits next to the TV and, without any wires connected to it from any device, can relay instructions from other IR devices surrounding the TV."relay instructions FROM other IR devices?

"For example, the cable set top box shown in the photos could be controlled with its own remote and have its content displayed on the TV, despite the fact that it was not wired to the TV or the IR blaster; everything worked wirelessly. "

If this means what it says, it's huge, so it must not be correct.

The cablebox is displaying content on the TV even though it's not hooked up to the TV?

Typically an "IR Blaster" in this instance would send IR commands from the TV TO the other devices. Letting you (or this Smart TV) control the cablebox with the TV's remote, not the cablebox.

I would not buy an internet connected tv that has a camera. I'm sure that buried in the EULA is something that says it is within their right to use the camera for whatever function they think they need.

I could have sworn there was an instance of the Kinect doing something questionable with pictures it took of people while they used it, but the details of it escape me and I can't get anything useful to turn up in a search. If someone else remembers this, or if I'm imagining it, let us know!

Microsoft said in a sales call that they could take pictures of you during a football game and see what jerseys you were waering and sell that to advertisers. Huge backlash. MS then said, "No, No we were just giving an example of what could be possible but we'd never, ever do that. Trust us?"

Any idea if the Smart TV component will get any type of updates? And if it is acting as an 'OS', will it get updates for a few years? I'm really looking forward to their OLED TV family! As a side note, I believe that Sony shot themselves in the foot by not giving consumers a better Web experience on their PS3.

I would not buy an internet connected tv that has a camera. I'm sure that buried in the EULA is something that says it is within their right to use the camera for whatever function they think they need.

Keep the remote, the applications, the expandability, and the IR blaster - and ditch the camera and mic. As noted by someone earlier, I just don't want a web-enabled device with recording equipment built into it. Particularly when the camera and mic are active while the TV is turned "off." People get so angsty about police drones, yet we're supposed to buy equipment that can be hacked by LE/DOJ with a court order for real recon? What if anonymous, or some other crafty non-organization decides to play a prank on unsuspecting TV viewers? No thanks.

And I'm just not sold on gestures as the wave of the future. (Yeah.. pun intended.) I know some people are convinced others, but discreet buttons have their use. I'm glad the camera is at least supplemental to the remote (other way around?), but I hope the trend is not to push the remote out of the living room altogether.

As to the mic.. $2,999.99 for a TV that is outperformed by a $500 smartphone running crusty hardware and an outdated OS? (G2) Are you kidding me?

Pass.

dlux wrote:

Quote:

The ES8000's home screen (called "Smart Hub" by the TV) is a jumble of icons...

This is what you get when Samsung doesn't have someone to copy, a checklist of features they don't know how to organize and make good use of, and doesn't solve any real problems.

Yah. Does anyone else find it highly suspicious that it ships on the day Apple is making their announcement which is widely rumored to include a major change in Apple TV?

What Apple is doing is indeed a secret here, but not in China, where they've been ordering parts and building assembly lines for months, and some component acquisitions go back a year or more. And, of course, Samsung is part of that supply chain, as they were with the iPhone.

Reminds me of some of the touch-screen phone prototypes announced just before the iPhone announcement....